The Power Within - Transformers Prime (2)

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Episode 19 - The Human Factor

[Elsewhere]

  "Welcome back, sir." A man said.

  A pause. "What have you done?"

  "What we needed to in order to save you," The man replied. "Silas."

  "I'm one of them." Silas realized, clenching his metal fist.

  "The logical evolution of MECH's experiments and biotech," The man explained. "Your brain is fused with the donor's nervous and skeletal systems-"

  "-Making the perfect meld of man and machine." Silas finished. "Exquisite." He looked down at the scientists and guards around him. "Thank you all for your dedication and a lifetime of service. But I now seem more suited to keep the exclusive company of titans." He unsheathed a gun and shots rang out in the warehouse, followed by screams.

[Amanda]

  "Bulkhead, you really mustn't allow yourself to decline," Ratchet scolded at the wrecker seated on the cot in the medlab.

  "Yeah, Bulk!" Miko prompted. "You got to pull yourself out of this funk."

  The wrecker sighed. "What's the use?"

  "You need to regain your strength," Ratchet said. "The time will come when-"

  "When what?" Bulkhead snapped. "When all of you will need an assist? Isn't that what the new guy's for?"

  I held back a sigh. Bulkhead still wasn't taking Smokescreen's addition to the team well, regardless of how much a assured him he was certainly not being replaced. I wanted to jump in and reiterate what Miko and Ratchet were saying, but instantly felt too tired to do so. It had been a day since the attack at my mansion, but I still hadn't shaken off the tired, achy feeling I had. It was probably from using a lot more of my powers than normal, but I didn't think the effects would last this long.

  "Hey Bulkhead," Smokescreen said, approaching the wrecker. I held back the urge to tell him off; Bulkhead really didn't need his input on this. "I've been thinking."

  "There's a first," I muttered and Miko, who had heard since she was standing right beside me, barked a laugh.

  "With your injury and all, you might want to take advantage of the armor I snagged from Starscream," the rookie continued, holding out a certain relic. "Instant muscle suit!"

  Bulkhead's rage flared at that. "You think I need a crutch?!" He unsheathed his wrecking mace and slammed it into the Apex armor, which flew across the lab and smashed into a computer.

  "Bulkhead, I needed that!" Ratchet exclaimed. Bulkhead just glared at Smokescreen before walking off to do his exercises. Miko and I exchanged a smile. At least that had motivated him to work himself back in shape. My smile dropped though, and a bitter feeling crept up on me. I wish I could do more to help Bulkhead with my powers, but that fight with Typhoon had weakened me and even before that I could only heal him little by little. I was still trying to get a full grasp on what and how I could do things with the powers of Cleona, and I knew these things took time, but it still bothered me.

  "You've got to be kidding, Raf," Finn said from behind us and I turned to see him sitting on the couch, phone in hand. Raf hadn't come to the base after school today, and Finn had immediately become concerned, phoning the younger boy right away. I pointed to Finn's phone and then to my ear, and he nodded, putting it on speakerphone.